FRENCH ATTACKS DESCRIBED.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 11 July 1916, Page 5

FRENCH ATTACKS DESCRIBED.

WONDERFUL SWERTIFIO FiBHT-

POSITIONS CAPTURED AT V LIGHTNING speed. (United Service.) LONDON, July 10. The ‘Times” correspondent, describing the French attack at the Somme, said that all the positions attacked .were carried with the minimum of lose. The French were- completely maotei s of the air in the first stage of the offengive and destroyed every German sau-sage-shaped balloon. Only nine enemy aeroplanes .were seen during the i - two days. Troop movements and artillery dispositions were thus effected witn secrecy. t ~ During the previous months, the Germans, disturbed by the evident activity of the Allies on the Somme, gave urgent instructions for a big pi ogramme of digg ng- and multiplied their dug-outs and slielters, put these elaborate precautions were unavailing against the French guns. As an indication of the slightness, of t|ie French losses,'the casualties of a i colonial Jfprce in taking Dompierfe were only six killed 'and sixteen- wounded - n --the. most tried company. -; -Tile losses °of some companies' were eight to 14 men. V In' a whole division there were : only ; 640.;... casualties. .Becouincourt, Bussu and Fay also fell into the hands 1 of the French, without trouble. There was some delay in dislodging the defendesfcof Estress, but the whole or the south of the Somme proved definitely that the German steel barrier can be broken. i. In the joint Anglo-French: opera lions • against Hardecourt atfd the neighbouring woods, -the French won the whole : of the positions assigned to them, m ; 35 minutes, though their trenches were

filled with 3ft. of water and the torrential rain made artillery support c x • tremely difficult.

rapidity and the minimum losses. The

French artillery was never greater. i*y the oth the whole of the second defences south of the Somme were captured, daring patrols reconnoitring the third line. A brief halt was necessary to bring up the Anglo-French line north of the liver, the infantry meanwhile repelling counter-attacks. Brilliant joint operations in the Hardeconrt vicinity evened up the position, the capture of Hardecourtt facilitating t-ho French advance norm of the Somme